Last week’s tidbits about Iceland intrigued (amused?) many of my readers; thank you for the feedback. At your request, guess what we’re doing this week…(it’s in the title). We’re going to Iceland!
I was asked this week “But what is there to do in Iceland?” I came up with a list of 22 adventures/sites/activities to do in this strikingly beautiful country; I’m squeezing ten of them into my article this week. Keep in mind that all activities are dictated by the season and by the weather. For your trip we’ll make sure you have plenty to do, see and enjoy.
1. Discover Reykjavik’s charming architecture and brightly colored rooftops. Iconic sights include the soaring modern cathedral, a beautiful convention center, and the famous Sun Voyager sculpture.
2. Visit Skógar Folk Museum and learn about the lives of Iceland’s earliest settlers. The vast once belonged to the former curator, who retired at the age of 92 after 75 years of collecting. That's a lotta stuff. The museum features fishing tools, decorative arts, and books, as well as several restored buildings, including a turf house, a school building from 1901, and a farmhouse. Speaking of early settlers…did you know that the reason for the lack of trees in Iceland is the deforestation wrought by the Vikings after their arrival in 700 A.D.?
3. Dine in a greenhouse. Fridheimar Tomato Farm serves a delicious lunch with fresh-picked tomatoes as the key ingredient in every dish.
4. Swim in the Secret Lagoon, Iceland’s oldest swimming pool – it’s where savvy travelers go to enjoy an authentic Icelandic spa experience. Fed by natural hot springs, the temperature hovers around 100 degrees Fahrenheit all year.
5. Admire the magnificent yet friendly Icelandic horses you’ll see on farms all over the island. All of them are related to the horses introduced byt eh original Norse settlers in 900 A.D. In 982, the Icelandic Parliament passed a law to keep the horses isolated on the island, so no other breed of horse has been allowed to enter and no Icelandic horse that leaves the island can return.
6. Speaking of politics, see the site of the world’s oldest continuous parliament at Thingvellir National Park, a spectacularly beautiful meeting place of old clans. The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates meet here above ground – bonus!
7. Watch boiling water erupt 60 feet in the air at Strokkur, Iceland's most popular glacier. You won’t have to wait long, since the blast occurs every five to ten minutes.
8. If you visit in winter, venture on a boat quest to hunt for the ephemeral Northern Lights.
9. Discover the power of volcanic eruptions that shape the earth and created Iceland beginning tens of millions of years ago at the LAVA Centre. This high-tech museum highlights the magnificence of these colossal forces.
10. Watch out for elves! Iceland’s rich tradition of folklore and its Huldufólk or Hidden People, still get respect – authorities have diverted roads to avoid disturbing them, and more than 80% of Icelanders refuse to deny their existence, according to a survey done my the University of Iceland in 2007. Traveling through the countryside, you’ll spot the small elf houses built to honor them.
Now that you know that Iceland is not as far away as you thought, 2022 can be the year you venture to Iceland. Let's explore that thought:
'til next week.
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I create indulgent, transformative vacations for people who crave immersive travel. If you don't have the time to plan the details of your own well-deserved escape, don't know where to begin, or are simply longing to make unforgettable memories with those you love, then don’t wait another day. Let's talk.
Contact: GLOBAL EXOTIC ADVENTURES - Juliet Weller, Founder